Journals
Journals lists every journal entry in your books, whichever screen posted it. You can open any entry to see its lines. Admins can also post a manual journal: an entry you type yourself, for a correction that no other screen covers. A manual journal debits and credits the accounts you choose, and the two sides must be equal.
- Where
- Accounting › Journals (the first tab of Accounting)
- Number
- JE-000001, given when you post a manual journal
- Posts to
- The list posts nothing. A manual journal posts to the accounts you pick, except the protected accounts below
- Who
- Managers and admins can read. Admins post, edit, delete and reverse manual journals
What it’s for
Section titled “What it’s for”- See every journal entry for a period in one list, newest first. Sales, bills, payments, stock and payroll all end up here.
- Open an entry to check its lines, its date, its memo and where it came from.
- Post a manual journal when no other screen fits. The form says: “Use only when no source workflow applies.”
- Correct a manual journal you posted: Edit journal, Delete journal or Reverse journal.
- Journals that other screens posted cannot be changed here. You correct those where they came from, such as a return, a credit note or a stock adjustment.
Fields
Section titled “Fields”The list
Section titled “The list”The list shows one period at a time. It opens on the first of the current month up to today. A period can be at most 366 days.
| Field | What it means | What it changes |
|---|---|---|
| From and To | The first and last journal date to show. Press Refresh ledger to apply them | Lists only journals dated in this period |
| Search | Type part of a journal number, a memo, a line description, an account code or name, or an amount (up to 100 characters). Press Search or Enter | Lists only journals that match, inside the period |
| Clear | Appears after a search | Brings back the whole period |
A search for an amount such as 125.50 finds a journal that has a line of that amount, or a total of that amount. Characters such as % are matched as typed.
The page shows 10 journals at a time. You can choose 10, 25 or 50. The app reads the latest 100 journals of the period first. When there are more, you see “Showing the latest ‹number›. Search or load more to see older ones.” and Load more.
| Column | What it shows |
|---|---|
| Date | The journal date |
| Journal | The journal number, which opens it, and how many lines it has |
| Source | Which screen or workflow posted it. See below |
| Memo | The reference text, or “No memo” |
| Status | Posted, Reversed (a reversal cancels it) or Reversal (this entry cancels another) |
| Debit and Credit | The totals of the entry. They are always equal |
A deleted journal is not in the list. Its number stays reserved, and the deletion is kept in its history.
What the Source column tells you
Section titled “What the Source column tells you”| You see | It came from |
|---|---|
| Manual journal | A journal typed on this screen |
| Manual journal reversal | Reverse journal on a manual journal |
| Sale, Sales return | A till bill, or the return of one |
| Customer receipt, Customer receipt reversal | Money received from a customer, or its cancellation |
| Customer advance application, Customer advance payback | A customer’s advance used on an invoice, or paid back |
| Purchase receipt, Purchase return | Goods received from a supplier, or sent back |
| Supplier payment, Supplier payment reversal | A payment to a supplier, or its cancellation |
| Stock adjustment, Opening stock | Stock counted, written off or loaded at the start |
| Opening balance import, Supplier opening balance | Balances loaded when you started with LedgerLite |
| Register close variance | A difference found when a till drawer was counted |
Other entries show the name of the document that posted them, such as Customer Invoice, Supplier Bill, Paid Expense or Financial Transfer. Use the Day book when you want entries grouped by type.
Opening a journal
Section titled “Opening a journal”The journal number opens the entry on a page of its own. It has two tabs: Lines, and History (manual journals only).
| Part of the page | What it shows |
|---|---|
| Header | The number, the status badge, Print… for manual journals, and the actions you may use |
| Journal date | The date the entry counts under in your reports |
| Source | The screen or workflow that posted it |
| Reference / memo | The text typed when it was posted |
| Line state | Editable, Locked or Deleted |
| Reversed by / Reverses | A link to the other half of a reversal, with its number and date |
| Correction history | Older journals corrected the previous way. Each saved version is listed, with a link to open it |
| Journal lines | Each line’s account name and code, its description, and its debit or credit. Journal total is at the bottom |
| Reversal reason | Shown on a reversing journal |
| History tab | Who changed or deleted the journal, when, and why. Show changes compares the date, memo and lines before and after |
A journal that did not start as a manual journal shows the notice “Correct this where it came from”. It says which workflow to use. A reversing journal says: “This is already a reversal. Review its linked original journal for the correction trail.”
If the journal has not been changed since it was posted, the History tab says “This journal has not been changed since it was posted.”
The manual journal form
Section titled “The manual journal form”Press Manual journal above the list. Only people who may post journals see it.
| Field | What it means | What it changes |
|---|---|---|
| Journal date * | The date of the entry. It cannot be after today in the company’s time zone. The hint says the latest date | The date the entry counts under in your reports. It must be in an open period |
| Reference / memo * | A short reason for the entry, at least 3 characters and up to 500 | Shown on the journal and found by Search. No accounting effect |
| Account | Pick an account from your chart. Type to search by code or name. Protected accounts are not offered. An admin can add a new account from here | Where this line posts |
| Balance | Appears under a chosen account, for example “Balance: AED 1,250.50 debit · as of 30 Sept 2026” | Information only. It is the account’s balance as of the journal date, and does not yet include this entry |
| Description | What this line is for (required, up to 500 characters) | Shown on the journal and in account reports |
| Debit and Credit | Fill in one of them on each line, never both. The amount must be above zero, with at most 4 decimals | The side of the line |
| Add line | Adds another line. Pressing Enter in the last line does the same. It never posts |
The form starts with two lines. A journal needs at least two. The trash button on a line removes it, and is off while only two lines remain.
At the bottom, the bar shows Debit, Credit and Difference. The difference turns green at zero. The line next to the buttons says what is still needed, for example “Still needed: a reference, an account on line 1 and 2 more.” When all is filled in it says “Ready to post.”
Buttons
Section titled “Buttons”Nothing touches your accounts until Post journal. After that, every change is recorded with its reason, and the journal keeps its number.
| Button | When you see it | What happens | Accounts |
|---|---|---|---|
| Manual journal | On the list, if you may post | Opens the form | No change |
| Post journal | In the form | Posts the journal and returns to the list, where the new row is highlighted. A message says “Journal ‹number› saved” and offers Print | Posts |
| Post & new (Ctrl+Enter) | In the form | Posts, then opens a clean form for the next journal | Posts |
| Back to journals | In the form, or on a journal page | Leaves the form. If you typed something, the app asks “Discard the unsaved journal entry?” | No change |
| Check status | After an unclear answer | Asks again under the same request, so the journal is never posted twice. See below | No change |
| Print… | On a posted manual journal or reversal | Shows the journal to print | No change |
| Edit journal | A manual journal that may still be edited, for people who may edit | Opens the same form with the journal’s values | Restated on its own date |
| Update journal | In the edit form | Opens Review changes. Confirm there to save | Restated on its own date |
| Back to editing | In Review changes | Returns to the form with your values kept | No change |
| Delete journal | A manual journal that may still be deleted, for people who may delete | Asks for a reason, then removes the entry from your books | All effects removed |
| Reverse journal | A manual journal that can no longer be edited or deleted, for people who may reverse | Opens a form for a new journal that swaps every debit and credit | New journal |
| Keep journal | In the reverse and delete dialogs | Closes without changing anything | No change |
Statuses you will see: Posted, Reversed, Reversal and Deleted. While you fill in the form its badge reads Draft, then Ready to post. After an unclear answer it reads Confirmation needed.
An unclear answer
Section titled “An unclear answer”If the connection drops while you post, the app cannot tell whether the journal was saved. It shows “We couldn’t confirm the last journal you posted” and keeps your entry locked. Press Check status. Do not type the journal again. If you leave the screen or reload, the held entry is still there.
What gets posted
Section titled “What gets posted”A manual journal posts exactly the lines you typed, on the date you chose. The app does not add VAT, stock or tax lines. It also rejects an entry whose debits and credits differ, even by a fraction.
- Line 1: Office expense adjustment125.50
- Line 2: Cash adjustment offset125.50
| Account | Debit (AED) | Credit (AED) | Why |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6700Office and Administration Expense | 125.50 | The cost you are recording | |
| 1000Cash on Hand | 125.50 | The cash that paid for it | |
| Total | 125.50 | 125.50 | Balanced |
The entry gets the next number, such as JE-000001, and the two sides total AED 125.50. Posting the same request twice does not make two journals.
| Account | Debit (AED) | Credit (AED) | Why |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1000Cash on Hand | 125.50 | Every line of the original, the other way round | |
| 6700Office and Administration Expense | 125.50 | The cost is taken back out | |
| Total | 125.50 | 125.50 | Balanced |
The reversal is a new journal with its own number. The original stays in your books, marked Reversed, and the two are linked. Together they leave both accounts as they were before.
Editing and deleting
Section titled “Editing and deleting”- Edit journal restates the same journal. It keeps its number and its row, with the new date, memo and lines. The old values are kept in the History tab.
- Delete journal removes the journal’s lines from your books. The number is never reused. The history keeps the lines it had. The dialog says: “Its ledger lines are removed. The number stays reserved and the deletion is kept in the change history.” A message then says “Journal ‹number› deleted.”
- Both ask for a reason. The app offers: Wrong amount, Wrong date, Wrong account or category, Wrong customer or supplier, Wrong item or quantity, Duplicate entry, Entered by mistake. Or choose Other and describe it, in at least 3 characters.
- Editing runs every check again. The new lines must balance, avoid protected accounts, and fall in an open period.
- A journal that someone else changed or deleted meanwhile is refused until you reload it.
Reviewing a change
Section titled “Reviewing a change”Update journal does not save at once. It opens Review changes:
- The date and memo, from the old value to the new one.
- Each line that was added, removed or changed. The line shows its account, amounts and description.
- Effects: “Reports for ‹date› will change.” (or both dates, if you moved it) and “Total unchanged at AED ‹amount›.” or “Total moves from AED ‹old› to AED ‹new›.”
- The reason. Then Update journal saves it.
Reversing
Section titled “Reversing”Reverse journal is for a manual journal that can no longer be edited or deleted, for example because its date is in a locked period or its bank account is reconciled. You fill in:
- Reversal date *: the original date or later, up to today. If the original is in a locked period, the first open day is the earliest.
- Reason and approval reference *: at least 5 characters.
- Type ‹date› to confirm *: you type the reversal date exactly.
The dialog lists the lines the reversal will post. No invoice, bill, payment or stock record changes, and no real money moves.
Where it shows up
Section titled “Where it shows up”| Place | What changes |
|---|---|
| Accounting › Journals | The new row, highlighted. A deleted journal leaves the list |
| Chart of accounts and account balances | Each account you used moves by the lines. See Chart of accounts |
| Day book | The entry is listed under its date as a Manual journal |
| Reports that add up balances | Profit and loss, the balance sheet and the trial balance use the lines, on the journal date |
| Banking | A line on a bank or cash account changes that account’s balance |
What the app blocks
Section titled “What the app blocks”These checks happen before anything is saved. A refused journal leaves no half-written records and does not use a number.
While you fill in the form
Section titled “While you fill in the form”| Situation | What you see |
|---|---|
| The date is missing or wrong | Enter a valid journal date. |
| The date is after today | Choose today or an earlier date in the company time zone. |
| The memo is shorter than 3 characters | Enter a useful journal reference. |
| A line has no account | Select an account. |
| A line has no description | Enter a line description. |
| A line has both a debit and a credit, or neither | Enter either a debit or a credit amount. |
| Fewer than two lines | Enter at least two journal lines. |
| Debits and credits are different | Total debits must equal total credits. |
While you read the list
Section titled “While you read the list”| Situation | What you see |
|---|---|
| From is after To | Start date cannot be after end date. under the date |
| The period is longer than 366 days | Report range cannot exceed 366 days. under the date |
| No journal in the period | No journals in this period. and Choose another date range to inspect entries. |
| Nothing matches your search | No journals match “‹text›” in this period. and Check the spelling, search for part of the number, or choose another date range. |
| The search fails | Some journals could not be loaded with the reason, or The search could not be run. |
| Load more fails | The older journals could not be loaded. Try again. The rows already shown stay |
| A journal cannot be opened | The journal detail could not be loaded. Please try again. with Try again, or The journal could not be found. |
When you press Post journal
Section titled “When you press Post journal”| Situation | What you see |
|---|---|
| A line uses a protected account (list below) | Use the source workflow for control accounts. under Add line |
| A line uses Card and Payment Clearing | Card and Payment Clearing is moved by card sales and card payouts. Record the payout or adjustment on the Card payouts screen instead. |
| A line uses a Pay by link provider’s account | A Pay by link provider’s account is moved by its sales, refunds and payouts. Record the payout on the Pay by link payouts screen instead. |
| An account is archived, belongs to another company, or is a group | Select active accounts belonging to this company. |
| The date is in a locked period | This date is in a closed accounting period. Choose a date in an open period. beside the date |
| A bank account in the journal is reconciled up to or past the date | A bank account in this journal is reconciled through ‹date›. Undo that reconciliation first. |
| A Cash account was counted up to or past the date | This Cash account was already counted through the selected date. Undo its latest cash count or choose a later transaction date. |
| A line is on the Cash account of a till drawer that is open | An open POS register is using this Cash account. Close the register, or use the drawer cash-in/cash-out, before posting this journal. |
| The journal would take a bank account below zero | This would take ‹account› below zero on ‹date› (balance then AED −‹amount›). Record at least AED ‹amount› coming in on or before ‹day› first, then save again. |
| The same request is sent again with different details | This journal request was already used with different details. Start a new journal. |
| You may not post journals | You don’t have permission to post a journal. beside the buttons, and Post journal is off |
The protected accounts are: Accounts Receivable, Accounts Payable, Inventory, Customer Deposits, Supplier Advances, Goods Received Not Invoiced, Unbilled Receivables, Input Tax Recoverable, Output Tax Payable, Payroll Payable, Pending POS Cash, Stock owed (estimated cost), VAT due to/from FTA, and Staff Advances. Each is moved by the documents behind it, so a typed entry would leave a customer, supplier, stock or VAT record that no longer matches. Card and Payment Clearing and the Pay by link accounts are closed to manual journals for the same reason.
Because the VAT accounts are protected, a manual journal cannot change a VAT return. You also cannot unlock dates up to the end of a VAT period whose figures are locked. See VAT.
When you edit, delete or reverse
Section titled “When you edit, delete or reverse”| Situation | What you see |
|---|---|
| Nothing was changed in the edit form | Update journal is off and the bar says “Nothing has been changed yet.” |
| The journal was changed by someone else meanwhile | This journal was changed by someone else. Reload it to see the latest version. |
| The edit would leave the journal as it was | Nothing has changed. |
| No reason | Enter a reason with at least 3 characters. |
| The journal is already deleted | This journal was deleted. |
| The journal is in a locked month | This journal is in a month that is locked (through ‹date›), so it can’t be changed or deleted. Correct or cancel it with an entry dated today. Administrators can do this, and managers whose role allows it. To use a different date, choose one after ‹date›. |
| The journal was corrected the older way | This journal was cancelled or corrected earlier, under the older way of correcting, so it can’t be changed again. The earlier entries stay in the history. If something is still wrong, create a new journal with the right details. |
| The journal has been reversed | This manual journal already has a reversal. |
| A reversal dated before the original | A reversal cannot be dated before the original journal. and Choose the original journal date or a later date. |
| A reversal date in a closed period | This reversal date is in a closed accounting period. Choose a date in an open period. |
| A reversal date after today | Choose today or an earlier date in the company time zone. |
| An edit, delete or reversal would take a bank account below zero | The same message as for posting: This would take ‹account› below zero on ‹date› (balance then AED −‹amount›). Record at least AED ‹amount› coming in on or before ‹day› first, then save again. |
| The reason is shorter than 5 characters | Enter a reason with at least 5 characters. |
| The confirmation does not match the date | Type the reversal date exactly as shown. |
When a journal can no longer be edited or deleted, the page shows “‹number› can’t be edited or deleted” with one of these reasons:
- Reversed earlier.
- Part of an earlier correction.
- Locked period — locked through ‹date›.
- An open POS register is using this Cash account.
- A bank account in this journal is reconciled through ‹date›. Undo that reconciliation first.
- A Cash account in this journal was counted through ‹date›. Undo that cash count first.
Where it can still be reversed, the notice adds “You can still reverse it with a new journal; the original stays in the history.” and a Reverse journal button.
Notices that do not stop you
Section titled “Notices that do not stop you”- Closed dates. A badge at the top of Accounting says “Locked through ‹date›” or “No dates locked”. Journals dated on or before the lock are refused. Admins lock and unlock dates in Settings.
- Read-only. A person who may not change journals sees “You don’t have permission to edit, delete or reverse a journal.” and a Permission needed badge.
- Correction panel. When another screen sends you here for a correction, a panel “Correcting ‹number›” explains the step and has Return to ‹number›. Opening a screen this way changes nothing.
Who can do it
Section titled “Who can do it”| Action | Admin | Manager | Cashier |
|---|---|---|---|
| See the list, open a journal, read its History | Yes | Yes | No, cashiers work at the till |
| Post a manual journal | Yes | No | No |
| Add a new account from a journal line | Yes | No | No |
| Edit a manual journal | Yes | No | No |
| Delete a manual journal | Yes | No | No |
| Reverse a manual journal | Yes | No | No |
These are the standard roles. Your administrator can give a custom role each action separately in Settings › Users & access. For example, a role can be allowed to post journals but not to edit, delete or reverse them.
Fixing a mistake
Section titled “Fixing a mistake”- You typed the wrong amount, account, date or memo. Open the journal and use Edit journal. It keeps its number. Check the changes on the review step and give a reason.
- The journal should never have been posted. Use Delete journal and give a reason. Its lines are removed, the number stays reserved, and the history keeps what it said.
- Edit and Delete are not offered. Read the notice on the journal page. If a bank reconciliation or a cash count covers the journal, undo that first in Banking, and the journal can be edited. If the date is in a locked period, an admin uses Reverse journal, dated on an open day, and then posts a correct journal.
- A reversal was not what you wanted. A reversed journal cannot be edited or deleted. Post a new journal with the right lines.
- The journal came from an invoice, a bill, a payment or the till. Correct it where it came from. The notice on the journal says which kind of screen. See Accounting basics for how documents are updated and deleted.
- You are not sure a journal was saved. Press Check status. If you left the screen, look for the memo in the list first. Do not post it again.
- Older corrections. Journals that were corrected the older way show a Correction history list. Open each version from it. These journals can no longer be edited or deleted.